Coil-handling apparatus



` `INVENTOR ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Shea?l 1 M. P. SIEGER COIL-HANDLING APPARATUS Flled March 3, 1959 Nov. 11, 1941. M. P. SIEGER COIL-HANDLING' APPARATUS Filed March 1939 2 sheets-sheet 2 nyvENToR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1941 Maurice P.

Sieger, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United Engineering and Foundry Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa.,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March s, 1999, serial No. 259,595 (c1. 242-18) Claims.

This invention relates to coil-handling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for handling coils of strip material from the time they reach an uncoilers loading station until they are unwound by strip-processing apparatus.

Heretofore coiled metal strip has generally been deposited on a vertically movable saddle or cradle disposed between and below a pair of horizontally movable spindles forming part of an uncoiler. The spindles are moved towards each other to receive the coil from the raised cradle, and the empty cradle is then lowered. The outer end of the coiled. strip is then pulled away from the coil and led to strip-engaging apparatus which feeds it into strip-processing apparatus, such as a rolling mill. Even if possible, it is not feasible to place a new coil on the cradle until the preceding one has been entirely unwound. During the time that a new coil is being loaded onto the cradle, raised into the uncoiler, received by the uncoiler spindles, and started into the stripprocessing apparatus the latter runs idle. As

steel mill machinery and its operation are very expensive, this periodic idleness totals up to a material production loss every day. Additional factors that contribute to the length of time required to mount a new coil in the uncoiler are the slow speed at which the spindles must be moved toward each other to prevent their damaging the edges of the coil strip by impact therewith, and the delay incident to entering the leading end of the strip into strip-feeding means. `Furthermore, the portion of the outer convolution of the coil which has to be pulled away from the coil in order to start the leading end of the strip into the processing apparatus is often marked or excessively bent during this opening operation, whereby coil-breaks and other flaws which `lv can not be eliminated by subsequent iinishing operations'are caused and cropping of the damaged end portion is necessitated.

It is among the objects of this invention to materially shorten the idle periods of strip-processing apparatus due to periodic charging of the uncoiler with new coils of strip, and to substantially eliminate the necessity for cropping arising from 'opening a coil to permit the leading end of the strip to be fed to -the processing apparatus. More speciilc objects are to provide coilhandling apparatus in which a coil is mounted on a cradle ready for quick mounting in an uncoiler while the preceding coil is being unwoimd, in which the leading end portion of the strip is bent away from the coil by a non-marking device an amount insumcient to cause breaks. in which this leading end is quickly entered into the stripfeeding apparatus without damage, in which uncoiler spindles are moved toward each other rapidly without damaging" the ends of the coil, and in which several operations may be performed at the same time instead of in sequence.

The preferred )embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in l2 (Fig. 2) of tightly wound metal strip are deposited on incline I0 by any suitable means, such as a crane, and are prevented from rolling oli the sides of the incline by adjustable side guards l5. The lower or discharge end portion of the incline is formed principally by a gate 2li having lingers 26 projecting rearwardly between forwardly extending ngers I6 of the main body of the incline. The gate is keyed on a shaft 22 rotatably mounted in a frame 24 below the incline. As shown in Fig. 1, raising and lowering of the gate is effected by rocking shaft 22 that is operatively connected through a speed-reducing gear unit 44 with a reversible electric motor 45 provided with a magnetic brake 46. The speed-reducing unit may be made self-locking by using a worm drive. A limit switch 41 driven through a speed-reducing gear unit 48 by motor 45 breaks the circuit to the motor, energizes the magnetic brake, and operates a reversing switch (not shown) in both positions of the gate. The raised position of the gate is shown in full lines in Fig. i and in broken lines in Fig. 2. In this position the gate serves as a stop for the coils deposited on incline III. When the gate is lowered, the rst coil rolls down the incline to the position of coil I2 where it rests on coil manipulator 8U.

To permit the gate to be swung upwar past the ,overhanging portion of coil l2', an apron 28 hinged to the discharge end of the gate swings downwardly relative to the gate whenvthe latter lis raised. The apron is normally held in line with the,v gate by levers 32 which are secured to the sides oi the apron and are connected by coil springs `34 to the gate. The apron and gate are supported in lowered position by abutments 3l and 4I, respectively, ber them.

ywhich engage a iixed mem- 82 and 84 it pushes the cradle V-receiving position to uncoiler Disposed below the lower end of incline is a coil opener 50 comprising two laterallyl spaced standards 52 each of which carries a pivot pin 58 on which is mounted a gear segment 54 and a lever arm 56. 'I'hetwo arms carry at their outer ends a gripping device adapted to pull the outer end portion of the strip away from the coil. A1- though many different types of such gripping devices may be employed, for handling magnetically permeable material it is preferred to use an electromagnet 60 pivotally mounted at 62 on the lever arms. The pole pieces 64 which project from the magnet are adjustable for engagement with cylindrical coil surfaces of dierent curvatures, due to coils of different diameters. Meshing with gear segments 54 are pinions 66 keyed to a shaft 68 which is journaled in bearings 69 on standards 52. As shown in Fig. 1, this shaft is operably connected through a speed-reducing gear unit to a reversible motor 12 having a magnetic brake 14. Control means, shown to be operated by a hand lever 19, sets a limit switch 16 to stop magnet 60 in any desired top position and in an unvarying bottom position. As the magnet is swung downwardly by arm 56 (gate 20 having previously been raised), it pulls the outer end portion of the coiled stripy back and down over a bending anvil 42 mounted between standards 52.

Coil |2 is supported on manipulator 80 by rollers 82 and 84 carried by a cradle 86 slidably mounted in the head portion of a vertical plunger 88 disposed in a vfluid pressure cylinder 90 carried by a carriage 98. Roller 84 is connected through a chain and sprocketV drive 92 and speed-reducing gear unit 94 with a reversible motor 96 rigidly mounted in the cradle. `rI'he carriage has a front upright |00 that serves as a stop to limit forward motion of the slidably mounted cradle which carries bumpers |02 urged forward by coil springs |04. When the coil rolls off the loading platform and onto rollers forward against upright |00, but the bumpers and springs absorb the force of this loading impact.

Another feature of this invention is to permit the cradle to be moved laterally from its coil- |20. Accordingly, carriage 98 is provided with flanged wheels |06 mounted on tracks |08 that extend forwardly from beneath coil opener to a point below the uncoiler, and the carriage is moved back and forth on these tracks by fluid pressure motor ||2 connected to the carriage through rod ||4. Elevating cylinder 90 is connected to a source of uid Vunder pressure by means of a flexible tube ||8 (Fig. 2) which does not interfere with the movements of the carriage.

The uncoiler |20 comprises two substantially similar devices mounted on both sides of the pit or coil conveyor 80. Each device includes parallel tracks |22, slidably mounted on which is a pedestal |24 provided with an upright portion |26 in `which a coil-supporting spindle |28 is journaled. As shown in Fig. 1, each spindle has a tapering end and a limiting ange |30, and its shaft is encircled by a brake drum |32 actuated by a lever |36 for regulating the resistance of the spindle to turning in order to put tension on the strip as it is being unwound. Pedestals |24 are moved toward and away from each other by rigidly mounted double action fluid pressure motors 40, the pistons of which are rigidly connected by rods |42 to the pedestalsl 'I'he two motors are connected by pipes |45 to a common i header (not shown) CII The outermost positions of pedestals I 24 are limited by motors |40 but their inner positions are determined b'y stops |46 slidably mounted on tracks |22. These stops are moved toward and away from each other in unison by threaded shafts |48 driven through bevel gears |54 (Fig. l) and speed-reducing gear unit |56 by a reversible electric motor |58. The two threaded shafts are connected together at their inner ends by a connecting shaft |49 that is broken away in Fig. 1 so as to more clearly show the underlying elements. This motor also rotates the pointer |62 of an indicator |64 which shows at all times on a graduated dial the position of stops |46.

Strip-feeding apparatus |10, by which strip is fed from a coil in the uncoiler to mill 200, includes a lower pinch roll |14 journaled in a frame |12 where it is driven through a spindle |16 by an electric motor |80, as shown in Fig. 1. The top pinch roll |84 is carried by the upper arms of a pair of laterally spaced bell cranks |86 that are rockably mounted at |88 on frames |12. The lower arms of the cranks are operatively connected to the upper ends of piston rods |90 vertically reciprocable in fluid pressure cylinders |92. This construction permits the upper roll to be swung .upwardly a considerable distance away from the lower roll to allow the leading end of the strip to be quickly fed between them, whereupon the top roll is lowered and the strip is fed through adjustable guides 202 to rolling mill 200, or to any other desired strip-processing apparatus.

In the operation` of this apparatus a coil I2 is deposited on inclined platform I0 and allowed to roll down against upraised gate 20. Additional coils may be deposited onfthe incline and prevented by wedges from following the rst coil over the gate when the latter is lowered. Coil manipulator is moved to the position below coil opener 50 shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. In this position the axes of cradle roller 84 and pivot pins\58 of the coil opener are in the same vertical plane. Fluid pressure is admitted to carriage cylinder whereby plunger 88 and cradle 86 are lifted until the axis of roller 84 coincides with that of pivot pins 58. The positions. of rollers 82 and 84 at thistime are indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2. Gate n20 is then lowered so that the first coil |2 may roll over it and into the position of coil I2' where it is supported by the cradle rollers. The gate is then raised, apron 28 permitting it to swing upwardly past the overhanging portion of coil I2. The next succeeding coil I2 is then permitted to roll down against the upright gate.

Cradle roller 84 is turned by motor 96 mounted in the cradle to rotate coil I2 until the outer end of its strip is substantially at the top of the coil. Electromagnet 60 is then swung upwardly by arms 56 through the space just previously occupied by gate 20. When in its upper position, indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2, the pivotally mounted magnet grips the outer end portion of the strip and is then swung downwardly to its original position beneath the incline. As the magnet pulls the outer portion of the strip away from the coil it bends it back over cradle roller 84 and down over the top of bending anvil 42. The upper surface of this anvil -is curved and forms with the adjacent curved surface of roller 84 a substantially continuous curved surface lover which the strip is bent.

The diameter of and the radius of the curved bending great enough to prevent breaks or damroller 84 anvil are aging stresses in the strip, but they are small enough to permit the strip to be bent beyond its elastic limit in order to permanently bend the leading end portion of the strip away from the coil. After the strip has been bent over anvil 42 electromagnet 60 is deenergized, whereupon the released bent portion of the strip swings upwardly to some extent, depending upon its resiliency. Coil l2 is then rotated again by cradle roller 84 to bring the outwardly bent portion of the strip into the upper and generally horizontal position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2.

The foregoing coil-preparing operations can all be performed while a preceding coil is being unwound in uncoiler |20. As soon as such a coil is entirely unwound, uncoiler pedestais |24 are moved apart by fluid pressure motors |40, and pedestal stops |46 are moved either toward or away from each other the necessary distance if coil I2 is of a different length than the preceding one. Fluid pressure motor ||2 then moves carriage 98 forward on tracks |08 until the coil carried by the elevated cradle is in the position shown by coil I2" in Fig. 2, wherein the axis of the coil is substantially in line with the axes of uncoiler spindles |28. If necessary, cradle 86 may be raised or lowered to produce this alignment. In moving the coil laterally into position in the uncoiler the outstretched leading end of the strip is positioned directly above pinch roll |14 of the strip-feeding apparatus, the other roll |84 having been raised to prevent it from interfering. Roll |84 may then be swung downwardly, by cylinder |92, to its broken line position in Fig. 2, whereby the strip is gripped between the two rollers.

As soon as cradle 8B positions coil I2 between the uncoiler spindles, pedestals |24 are moved inwardly by motors |40 to insert the spindles in the ends of the coil. As the coils generally are not exactly centered longitudinally relative to the spindles, one of the two spindles will engage the coil before the other and then slow down in its lateral movement on account of the increased resistance oiered by the coil which it slides slowly along the cradle rollers until the spindle is arrested by the adjacent stop |48. Just before this arrest of movement the opposite end of the coil is pushed over the other spindle which in the meantime has been moved as far inwardly as allowed by its stop |48. The equalizing eilect of the common header of the two iluid pressure motors |40 permits the second spindle to move faster than the rst spindle that meets with greater resistance by engaging the coil first,

whereby the engaged coil is shifted gradually and without destructive impact. This beneficial efthe cradle is being reloaded and the coil opened.;

coil I2" is unwound and fed by feeding apparatus into rolling mill 200. Although a rolling mill has been illustrated in the drawings, it will be obvious that the coil-handling apparatus disclosed herein may be used with any other It will thus be seen that with this apparatus very little time is spent in placing a new coil in the uncoiler after the preceding one has been fect is further enhanced by the compressibilityV unwound, because the second coil is mounted on the cradle and opened while the first one is being unwound. Likewise, the leading end of the strip is positioned in the feeding apparatus more or less automatically when a. coil is moved into the uncoiler. As a result, the strip-processing apparatus is idle for only a very short time and production is opener does not mark the strip, and it bends the leading end portion away from the coil without breaking or otherwise injuring the strip. The uncoiler also receives coils without damaging the edges of the strip.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explainedthe principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiments. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. Coil-handling apparatus comprising an uncoiler, a cradle adapted to receive a coil of strip material at a point laterally spaced from the uncoiler, means disposed adjacent said coil-receiving point for bending the outer end portion of said strip away from the coil mounted on said cradle, means for moving the cradle substantially horizontally to the uncoiler for delivering the coil thereto, and means for lowering the empty cradle beneath the uncoiler and returning it to said coil-receiving point.

2. Coil-handling apparatus comprising an uncoiler, a cradle adapted to receive4 a coil of strip material at a point laterally spaced from the uncoiler, means disposed adjacent said coil-receiving point for bending the outer end portion of said strip away from the coil mounted on said cradle, means for moving the cradle toward the uncoiler for delivering the coil thereto, means for moving the cradle vertically beneath the uncoiler, pinch rollers disposed adjacent the uncoiler, and means for spreading said rollers wide apart for receiving between them said outer end portion of the strip.-

3. Coil-handling apparatus comprising an uncoiler, tracks disposed below the uncoiler and extending laterally away from it, a carriage mounted on the tracks, a vertical cylinder carried by the carriage, a plunger disposed in the cylinder, a coil-receiving cradle slidably mounted on the plunger, said carriage being provided with means for limiting sliding of the cradle thereon, resilient buffer means disposed between the cradle and said limiting means, means for moving the carriage along the tracks, and means tvpe of strip-processing apparatus, such as a shear, continuous pickler, etc.

for introducing uid under pressure into said cylinder to elevate the plunger and cradle.

4. Coil-handling apparatus comprising an uncoiler, a support for coils spaced therefrom, a cradle adapted to receive a coil of strip material from said coil support, means disposed at the delivery end of said coil support for bending the outer end portion of saidI strip away from the coil on said cradle, means for'moving the cradle substantially horizontally to the uncoiler for delivering the coil thereto, means for lowering the empty cradle beneath the uncoiler, pinch rollers disposed adjacent the uncoiler, laterally spaced arms pivoted on a horizontal axis and' thereby speeded up. The coil carrying one of said rollers at their free end, and means for swinging said arms on their pivots to swing the roller carried thereby away from the other roller. 1

5. Coil-handling apparatus comprising a pair of axially aligned spindles, a cradle adapted to receive a coil of strip material at a point laterally spaced from the splndles,means for moving the cradle toward the spindles to locate the coil between them, means for moving the spindles toward each other to project them into the ends of the coil, stops limiting the inward movement of the spindles, means for adjusting the stops toward and.l away from each other in unison, and means for lowering the empty cradle from the spindles and coil.

6. Coil-handling apparatus comprising an uncoilera loading platform spaced therefrom, a cradle for receiving a coil of metal strip from the platform and transporting it to the uncoiler, means for lowering the empty cradle below the uncoiler, a bending anvil disposed adjacent the delivery end of the platform, and means for bending the outer end portion of said strip away from the coil and back over said anvil.

7. Coil-handling apparatus comprising an uncoiler, a loading platform spaced therefrom, a cradle for receiving a coil of metal strip from the platform and transporting it to the uncoiler, means for lowering the empty cradle below the uncoiler, a bending anvil disposed adjacent the platform, and means for bending the outer end portion of said strip away from the coil and back over said anvil, the curvature of the anvil being such as to bend the strip beyond its elastic limit without weakening it.

8. Coil-handling apparatus comprising an uncoiler, a loading platform spaced therefrom, a cradle for receiving a. coil of metal strip from the platform and transporting it to the uncoiler, means for lowering the empty cradle below the uncoiler, a bending anvil disposed adjacent the platform, laterally spaced arms pivoted on a horizontal axis, an electromagnet carried by the outer ends of the arms for engaging the outer end portion of said strip, and means for swinging said arms to cause said magnet to pull said end portion away from the coil and bend it back over said anvil.

9. Coil-handling apparatus comprising an uncoiler, a loading platform spaced therefrom and having a vertically movable delivery end portion, a cradle for receiving a coil of metal strip from said end portion of the platform and transporting it to the uncoiler, means for moving the cradle vertically below the uncoiler, a bending anvil mounted below said end portion of the platform, means for raising said end portion to uncover the anvil, and means for pulling the end of said strip away from the coil and bending it back over said anvil.

10. A coil handling apparatus comprising horizontally disposed spindle means, axially movable fonengaging the center of the coil and support.-

^ ing it for rotation. a coil supporting carriage mounted for movement below said spindle means and on tracks extending at right angles to the axis of said spindle means, coil supporting means on said carriage, elevating means for raising and lowering said coil supporting means and power means for moving said carriage on said tracks -to and from a loading position registering with said spindle means whereby a coil may be mounted on said coil supporting means while another coil is being unwound from said spindle means and moved with a minimum time interval to a position registering with said spindle means.

MAURICE P. SIEGER. 

